1. Field of the Invention
The invention generally relates to surface mount connectors and, more specifically, to a through-the-hole (TTH)/surface mount (SM) insulation piercing connector (IPC).
2. Description of the Prior Art
Zipcord connectors are generally two insulated conductors that are fused along a weakened parting line to allow the user to separate the conductors by tearing the conductors apart along the parting line. Such conductors are frequently used for table lamps, small household appliances to connect loudspeakers, etc. At times, it is necessary and desirable to terminate a zipcord on a printed circuit board in an automated or semi-automated manner.
The prior art shows that numerous connectors have been proposed for securing the wires and/or the conductors of a pair of wires, including a “Lamp Mounting” issued to Whitney under U.S. Pat. No. 1,287,542. However, the patent is for a lamp mounting and the wires are not a zipcord but two separate spaced wires and the connector forms a part of a lamp socket that is not suitable for surface mounting.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,937,403 discloses an “Electrical Terminals For Flat Wire” such as antenna wires used for connecting a television receiver to an antenna. However, the terminal must be severed into two halves after the zipcord is secured. The disclosure is not for an SMT connector. Unless, the two wires of the zipcord are severed and separated, they continue to be in electrical contact with each other and therefore, would not suitably serve as a connector since both lines would be shorted to each other. Additionally, the terminals are not designed nor are they suitable for use as an SMT connector.